With Love, Étienne | ✓

Chapter Twenty-Five

THE NEWS HAD BROKE ACROSS TOWN.

Milo Harris was seen in the police station with Louella and I. Rumours were being spread across campus and online - some seemingly bizarre, while others. . . were nearly spot on. Pictures and videos were being shared everywhere of the three of us. My phone was clamped in my head while I scrolled through each comment and photo, deleting each one that bashed Louella. There was always going to be the online trolls who thought it was okay to bully others online, but she didn't need that right now, and I didn't want her to go online and see the malicious comments left by some people.

Milo looked scruffier than I had ever seen him in his life. With his beard covering nearly half his face and under-bags that were puffier than ever, I would have barely recognized him, had I passed him on the street.  It was a strange feeling, to see your best-friend and brother the complete opposite of who they had been. Despite what others might think, it did hurt to see him that way. It wasn't something I had ever wished to see in my entire life. Perhaps I was foolish, but I always thought he would be someone I would be friends with forever. Maybe we would have our fall-out's and drift a little, but in the end, he would be there for me, as I would for him. It sounded pathetic, now that I was thinking about it. 

He wouldn't ever be a part of my life again. 

"Étienne? Are you there?"

Louella's soft voice wafted through the closed door. Quickly, I shut off my phone and scrambled to fix my bed-hair.

"Come in!" I called back, "Door's open!"

Slipping out from my seat, my feet hit the cold, tiled floor of my bedroom, making me shiver. Gently, I padded across the room and made my way over to the entrance. Louella creaked the door open and poked her head inside, smiling when she saw me. Her hands were stuffed into her pockets and a red and yellow scarf wrapped around her neck, pulled right up to her nose. I snorted a laugh at how much she had bundled up, to the point where she looked like a walking snowman. A scowl appeared on her face when she noted my reaction.

"It's cold outside," she defended herself, "I don't want to get sick."

"Hey, I didn't say anything," I raised my hands in the air.

Her warm, brown eyes - made up of a million different hues, gazed back at me. They were the colour of brown that was like a sweet chocolate, mesmerizing me. Yet, if I looked close enough, they held flecks of gold that swirled around within the deep cocoa.

"You didn't have to," she rolled her eyes, "Your facial expression said it all."

"I'm sorry, you just look kind of funny," I smiled at her, "How did you even get your jacket closed with all of those layers?"

Louella's cheeks flushed a bright pink shade, "It took me ten minutes and my mom's help, but I got it in the end."

"Jesus," I snorted, "Take some of it off, will you? You're going to melt in here. We have the heating on full-blast."

"Fine," she huffed and with difficulty, zipped off her puffy jacket. She threw it on the back of the chair and slid into one of the seats.

"So, what brings you over?" I hummed while flicking the kettle on for a cup of tea. I rummaged through the cupboard to find the chocolates she liked the most - grinning when they were hidden at the very back.

"Nothing much. . . I just wanted your company today," she confessed, "The house was too quiet for me."

"Where are your parents?" I asked with a frown, "It's the weekend. They're hardly working, are they?"

"Mom and dad had to leave after me," she sighed with a shrug, "Some meeting or other. I'm not sure."

Wincing, I turned to face her, "Do they know?"